The Fall and Rise of Max Russo
by The Hurricane 13
Summary: Sequel to my Suite Life story "Teenagers."  Somali pirates take over the S.S. Tipton and hold the passengers hostage.  Max Russo and his siblings teleport to the ship to save their friends where Max is killed in action.  What happens next? Read to see!
1. Nightmare

_**Nightmare**_

**Chapter 1: Nightmare**

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Cody Martin sat straight up in the bed and gasped as he woke up from his latest nightmare. He was drenched in sweat and next to him, his girlfriend, Bailey, gave him a concerned look. "Cody... are you okay?"

It took Cody a few moments to gather himself before answering. "Y... yeah... I'm fine," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Another nightmare?" Bailey asked as she put her arms around her boyfriend.

"Yeah."

"Was it about..." he voice trailed off. She knew this was a sensitive subject for Cody.

"As always." he replied. Cody hadn't made it through a full night without waking up at least once from a nightmare in almost a year. It was a burden his friends knew he didn't like to talk about and the events that started the nightmares were equally off limits. His nightmares were almost always the same and, like now, they even followed him into naps. Cody and Bailey were in Cody's cabin studying for an upcoming test when Cody dozed off. "How long was I out?"

"I'm not really sure," Bailey said, rubbing his back through his shirt. "I honestly didn't notice at first and when I did, I decided to leave you alone and keep studying."

"What time is it?"

"It's a quarter past eight," the girl answered.

"Forty-five minutes until lock down. I need some fresh air. Will you walk with me down to the Sky Deck?"

Bailey could tell Cody was still a bit shaken by his dream. "Of course I will, babe," she said with a smile. He returned her smile and the two, seventeen-year-old lovers got up and headed toward the Sky Deck.

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The sky was clear and the stars were as bright as ever. The SS Tipton was on its way to a port in Dubai where the students at Seven Seas High were scheduled to tour the world's tallest building and a chain of man-made islands shaped like a map of the world. The cool, salty air brushed across Cody and Bailey's faces as they walked across the deck toward the railing over looking the sea. The couple stood in silence at first, taking in the fresh air and the peace and quiet of the empty Sky Deck. During the day, this was the busiest part of the ship, but this late in the evening, most passengers had already made their way to their cabin for the night and it wasn't unusual for Cody and Bailey to find themselves alone other than Randy, the manager of the smoothie bar. After several minutes passed, Bailey finally spoke up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, referencing Cody's dream.

"There's not really anything to talk about that I haven't already told you," he said.

"I know, but... I just want to try and help you, that's all."

Cody could see the sadness in her beautiful eyes and hated to see her worry on his account. "Don't worry about it, honey. What happened happened. Nothing anyone can say or do can change that. I just have to accept it."

"Cody... you know... it wasn't your fault. There wasn't anything you could have done differently," she said trying to comfort him.

"I... I just don't believe that. I could have..." Cody didn't finish as another voice cut in from behind.

"Hey guys," Zack said as he approached his twin brother and his girlfriend.

"Hey, Zack," Bailey said.

"What's going on?" the older twin asked, noticing the somber looks their faces.

"Oh, we were just getting some fresh air. Nothing to worry about," Cody said.

Bailey leaned over and whispered to Zack while pointing at Cody, "Nightmare."

"Yeah, I know. I kinda had a feeling, that's why I came looking for you," Zack said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"I'll be fine. I always am," Cody said. "But... thanks for checking."

"No problem, little bro." Zack said. "Don't forget, I was there, too. I kinda know what you're going through."

"Yeah." Cody said. After that, the three teens stood looking out into the night in silence for several minutes before Cody spoke up again. "Hey... you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah, I think I hear something, too," Zack spoke up. The three listened carefully, but Bailey couldn't hear anything outside of the normal sounds the ship made while cutting through the ocean.

"I don't hear anything unusual," she said. Just then, though, the sound finally reached her. "Wait... now I think I do..."

The faint sounds of a motor was growing as something was getting closer to the ship. "Is it a helicopter?" Zack wondered out loud.

"No... not the right sound and too quiet for a helicopter," Cody said.

"Yeah," Bailey added. "Sounds more like an outboard motor on... like... a small fishing boat or a ski boat."

They listened as the sound got louder. Finally, something caught Zack's eye at the edge of the darkness out in the water. "Look," he said pointing.

"I see them, too," Cody said. A group of small speed boats were headed toward the ship, moving very quickly. They were far enough away that the teens could only see the small lights on the boats as the came, but were unable to make out the boats themselves or tell how many there were.

"I wonder what they're doing all the way out here," Bailey said, concerned.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good," Cody said. "These waters are known for... well... we better find Moseby."

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**(Author's Note: Welcome to my new story. Please review. I've got some really good stuff planned for this and I think you will all agree as we get to it. There will be some surprises later on that I think everyone will like, including some surprise appearances by a few characters. So get ready and hold on. It's gonna be fun!)**


	2. Escape Plan

**Chapter 2: Escape Plan**

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Mr. Moseby was still in his pajamas as he picked up the phone in his cabin and dialed the bridge. "Captain Lunsford! Thank goodness I caught you before you left for the night. We may have a problem." Zack, Cody, and Bailey listened intently trying to hear what the Captain was saying on the other line. It hadn't taken the group long to find Mr. Moseby in his cabin where he was just about to turn in for the evening. At first he hadn't believed them when they told him about the approaching speed boats, but they were able to convince him to follow them to the end of the hallway and see for himself. He griped and grumbled the entire way, but when he reached the end, stepped outside and looked out over the railing into the sea, he turned tail and ran so fast to call the Captain, the teens had trouble keeping up with him. "There's a group of speed boats approaching the ship from the north east. Sir, I believe it may be... pirates." Although Cody and Bailey had suspected and feared this to be the case, neither of them had actually said it out loud. The waters in this part of the world were known for various tribes of pirates who would attack merchant ships, military vessels, and even cruise liners. Each group had their own method and their own agenda. Cody and Bailey knew these weren't the fun, adventurous pirates they'd seen in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. These were groups of extremists. Trained guerrilla fighters who fought in the sea instead of the jungle. "Yes, sir," Moseby said before hanging up.

"What did he say," the three teens said all at once.

"He's ordering the communications operators to put out a distress call and to try to contact the military, but... I'm afraid we may not have much time," Moseby said. The look on his face telling the teens that he was afraid. Perhaps more afraid than he'd ever been.

"Well... what do we do?" Zack asked.

"Find London. The four of you warn as many people as you can. You only have minutes to spare. Find somewhere on the ship to hide and do not come out," Moseby instructed.

"And what about you? We can't just leave you here," Cody said, his voice pleading.

"I'll be fine, Cody. Trust me," Moseby said. Cody wasn't sure if Moseby himself even believed that, but they didn't have much time. "I'm going to meet up with the Captain. Please be safe..." Zack, Cody, and Bailey could only nod as Moseby head past them and left the cabin.

"Okay. Come one guys," Cody said, turning to his brother and girlfriend. "Let's find London and find someplace to hide."

"But what about the others? What about Woody, Marcus, and the rest of our friends?" Bailey asked. "We can't just leave them."

"We don't have much time. If we see them on the way we'll take them with us. If not... we'll just have to hope that they are able to get somewhere and hide."

"Well... where are we going to go?" Zack asked.

"Moseby said to get somewhere safe and hide. I think I can do us one better," Cody said.

"What?" Bailey asked on the verge of panic as the situation set in more and more.

"We're going to get off this ship," Cody said.

"What? How?" Zack asked.

"The lifeboats!" Bailey said.

"Exactly," Cody said. "We'll grab London and, if we have time, Marcus and Woody, and we'll take one of the lifeboats and get off the ship!"

"That's good, but what about everyone else?" Bailey said, "There's enough lifeboats for everyone on board."

"I know, but... if we start dropping of a bunch lifeboats, the pirates are going to notice. They won't pay attention just one," Cody said.

"But... that means..." Bailey couldn't finish the sentence. It was too much to take in at once. Cody grabbed her hands and looked her in the eyes with a knowing look.

"Guys..." Zack said, breaking the silence. "We gotta go."

* * *

London, Woody, Marcus, and Addison were in one of the ship's lounges watching American Idol when Zack, Cody, and Bailey found them. Along the way, the three friends warned everyone they could to get somewhere and hide. Most people didn't seem to buy the fact that there was a problem. Some of them even laughed at the idea. After all, Zack and Cody were known for getting into all sorts of mishaps. The laughing didn't last long though as the ship's emergency alarm started sounding and Moseby's voice came across the public announce system warning people to get somewhere and lock the doors. "This isn't a drill," Moseby's voice said.

"Guys come on! We have to get out of here! We've got a plan!" Zack yelled as he, Cody, and Bailey grabbed their surprised friends and started dragging them down the hallway.

"Where are we going? What's going on?" Woody said, trying to keep up.

"We have to get off the ship," Cody said. "We're going to get on a lifeboat."

"No way! I'm not getting back on one of those stupid lifeboats!" London protested. "I remember what happened last time. We got lost!"

"They've installed radios and tracking beacons since then, London," Bailey said, "We'll be safe. We'll get off the ship and radio for help."

"What about the others," Marcus said.

"Best not to think about that," Cody said from the front of the group.

As the six teenagers and London ran toward the end of the hallway, they burst through the door and outside onto the deck. They all turned to the right, toward the lifeboats, but Cody, who was in the lead, stopped dead in his tracks. The others behind him almost trampled each other as they tried to stop in time. Standing ominously in the moonlight, were three men with automatic weapons pointed directly at the group of friends.

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Zack, Cody, Bailey, Woody, Addison, Marcus, and London were herded back to the Sky Deck at the front of the ship along with any other passengers the men happened to capture along the way. Another group of men with guns was waiting and each hostage had their hands tied behind their back with zip ties and were forced to sit on the floor. Zack, Cody, and Bailey were separated from the others and forced to sit with their backs against the wall below the railing where they had first spotted the speed boats. Woody, Marcus, Addison, and London were seated around the Sky Deck's hot tub.

Cody looked over and saw Bailey crying. He leaned over as close to her as he could and whispered, "Don't worry, Bailey. I won't let anything happen to you." Cody didn't believe that there was really anything he could do, but he felt he had to try. He couldn't just sit still and do nothing and let his friends die. Not this time.

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**(Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter and it a success. I appreciate that and the large number of views really motivates me to continue updating. The only thing that would make it better is if everyone who reads would review. :) Anyway, expect this story to move at a pretty decent pace with a few surprises along the way. In fact, there just might be one in the next chapter. ;) Thanks again, and enjoy!)**


	3. Wouldbe Hero

**Chapter 3: A Would-be Hero**

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The pirates wasted no time in rounding up as many people as they could as hostages on the Sky Deck. They barked orders in a language that Cody assumed was an Arabic dialect, probably Somali. There were about fifty of them in all. Ten stayed with the hostages on the Sky Deck. The others disappeared into the ship. Cody was unsure how much time had passed since the men boarded the ship, but he figured it had been at least an hour, maybe even longer. He also noticed that the ship had changed directions. They had originally been heading northeast toward their scheduled destination, Dubai, but were now heading almost due south.

Three of the men were standing around a laptop computer at the smoothie bar whispering to each other and looking back and forth from computer to, what Cody assumed had to be either London or Marcus. He hoped the men didn't recognize either of his friends. Another three of the men had set up another laptop on the counter where Cody normally folded towels. They had connected a very small device that looked like a miniature satellite dish and a video camera to the computer. A fourth man, who Cody had determined to be the leader of the men was shouting in his foreign language into the video camera which was being held by a fifth man. The man with the camera would occasionally pan across the hostages. Cody figured they were making their demand video. The remaining two men silently patrolled the deck with their weapons in hand, stopping occasionally to yell at one of the many crying hostages sitting around the Sky Deck.

None of the hostages dared say a word. They had learned very quickly that trying to resist would earn yourself a beating. Cody glanced at Zack to his right. Zack had a sad look in his eyes, but gave Cody a small, reassuring smile and nod as if to tell the younger twin everything would be okay. To Cody's left, Bailey had tears running down her face and she was quietly sobbing. Cody could tell that she was afraid, as was he, and he would have given anything to have his hands free to hold her or to be able to talk to her and tell her that everything would be okay. That they would make it out of this together, all of them, even if he didn't really believe it himself.

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_**One Hour Later...**_

_"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. NBC has just learned that the SS Tipton, a cruise ship owned by billionaire Wilfred Tipton, has been taken hostage by a group of pirates calling themselves 'The Hand of Allah.' The group uploaded a video to internet just about thirty minutes ago that was quickly forwarded to federal intelligence agencies and the media. In the video, a man claims that the US was holding members of his group that had been captured in Afghanistan and Iraq as prisoners of war. He demands the release of those prisoners in exchange for releasing the hostages aboard the SS Tipton. No one from the US government has commented and we are still awaiting word from Tipton Industries about how many people may be aboard the cruise ship, which was scheduled to dock in Dubai at around midnight local time. Some have suggested that there may be upwards of 1,000 passengers on board, including, we are hearing, Tipton's own daughter, London Tipton. What you're seeing now is footage from the terrorists video and in the background, a young woman who some have identified as London Tipton herself, others speculate that it may not be her. At this point, no one really knows for sure..."_ Matt Lauer continued the breaking news story as a young, teenage boy called his family's attention to the television.

"Guys, look," the boy said. "That's definitely London Tipton."

"How can you be sure? The video is kind of choppy," the boy's older brother asked skeptically.

"Because... just LOOK. You of all people should be able to tell. You went on a date with her," the boy pointed out.

"He's got you there," the boys' sister said as she passed by. "You were in looooove with her," she teased with a laugh.

"I was not," the older boy said.

"Guys... that IS London. Who else could it be?" the younger boy asked.

"Well, you're probably right. I mean... it IS the SS Tipton and we all know that London was staying on that ship," the older brother said.

As the video continued to play, panning across the various hostages faces, the younger brother suddenly hit pause on the Tivo. "And look... that's Zack and his brother and his brother's girlfriend!"

"You're right. That's them. I recognize the country girl. Bailey, I think it was. And Zack... well... who could forget him? I knew him for five minutes and he was already practically trying to sleep with me," the girl said.

"Oh... my God... they're being held at gun point..." the older brother said.

"Guys... we HAVE to do something. The guy on tv just said the ship is lost, they can't find it on radar. The bad guys turned of its bacon," the younger boy said.

"It's BEACON and there's nothing we CAN do," the older brother corrected.

"Why not? Our friends are in trouble. If anyone CAN help them it's us," the boy said. "The ship is lost and the military doesn't know where they are so they can't help."

"He's right," the girl said. "It would be the right thing to do."

"Since when do YOU care about doing the right thing?" the oldest boy shot back. "Besides, it's forbidden. You know that we'll lose our powers if we use them to interfere in world affairs."

"I don't care if it's forbidden, they're our friends," the younest teen said. "We HAVE to help them."

"I WANT to, I really do, but... we just can't" the oldest said, unable to find any fault in his little brother's argument.

"It's just too dangerous... we'll get ourselves killed," the girl added.

"I'm going to talk to dad. He'll tell you. We HAVE to save our friends. If you guys won't go with me, I'll go by myself!" The younger boy got up and started heading downstairs from the loft apartment to the sandwich shop below where his father was working. His older siblings followed.

"Dad! Our friends are in trouble! We have to help them!" the boy said excitedly. The boy spotted his father in the kitchen of the sandwich shop and ran toward him talking frantically. "Zack and his brother and London are on the SS Tipton and it's been taken over by pirates and they've turned off the ship's bacon..."

"BEACON!" the boy's brother and sister both corrected at the same time.

"BEACON... whatever... they've turned it off and now they don't know where the ship is and our friends are being held at gunpoint and we have to save them! We're the only ones who can!"

"Woah, woah, woah," the teens' father said, "Slow down. Calm down for a second, son." The man turned to his oldest son, "What's going on?"

"The SS Tipton was attacked by pirates. Everyone on board is being held hostage in exchange for the US government releasing some prisoners of war. The pirates have switched off the ships beacon and GPS locators so the military is unable to find it on radar or by satellite and they're not responding to any radio transmissions. I tried to explain to him that it is forbidden for us to interfere since it's a political issue, besides being VERY dangerous, but... well... they ARE our friends..." the older son explained.

"I don't CARE if it's forbidden. We HAVE to help our friends. I'm going whether you guys come with me or not!" the younger boy said.

"Son, you can't go. It's too dangerous, not to mention the fact that interference in world affairs is forbidden. You'll lose your powers," the father explained.

"I don't care about that. I'm going to lose my powers eventually anyway. Why can't I use them to save my friends while I still have them?" the boy asked. No one had an answer for that. "I'm going. By myself if I have to." He pulled out a wooden stick from his back pocket.

"Son, I'm asking you... please don't go," his father said.

"Dad... I HAVE to. What good are these powers if we can't use them to help people? If we can't use them to do the right thing and save the people we care about? If that's forbidden, then maybe I don't want them anyway," the boy said. "I'll be okay. I promise." He looked his father in the eye and saw tears forming. "I'll be back." Then, he waved the stick above his head and vanished into thin air leaving his father, sister, and brother standing in silence.

"We can't just let him go by himself," the oldest boy said to his sister. She didn't say anything, but nodded her understanding. "Dad... we have to go help him."

"I... I know," their father said. The two remaining teens gave each other knowing looks and pulled wooden sticks from their own back pockets and held them over head. As they started waving them, their father spoke, "Alex... Justin... please be careful. Bring your brother back safely and... and no matter what happens... I'm proud of all of you. Make sure Max knows that."

"We will, dad," Justin said.

"We love you, daddy," Alex said. Then the two teens disappeared like their brother before them.

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**(Author's Note: SURPRISE!!! The Russo family is here and Alex, Max, and Justin are on their way to the SS Tipton to try and save their friends. With danger lurking around every corner on the ship, what lies ahead for our three would-be heros? Keep reading to find out! And leave a review while you're at it! I also want to thank everyone once again for making this story a success. Even if you don't review, I can see how many people are reading and I'm very proud. Hopefully the trend continues!)**


	4. Goldfish and Dung Beetles

**Chapter 4: Goldfish and Dung Beetles**

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Alex and Justin Russo materialized next to the railing at the very back of the SS Tipton and immediately went for cover behind a bench next to the nearby pool. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to their new setting. When they left New York, it had been almost 1:00pm. Here, on the other side of the world, it must have been closer to 11:00pm. The soft glow of party lights on the deck of the ship were a stark contrast to the bright, mid-day sun of New York.

After they scouted the area for threats, they slowly came out of hiding to look for their brother. It didn't take long for them to spot him at the other end of the pool. He was crouched down with his back to them and seemed to be frantically searching for something. Justin signaled to Alex and the older siblings rushed toward Max, fearing the possibility that he'd lost his wand. As they got closer, though, it became clear that he wasn't searching for anything. He was trying to catch something.

"Max!" Justin said excitedly, trying not to get too loud and draw attention to themselves.

The younger boy turned around startled with his wand at the ready. When he saw his brother and sister coming, he let out a sigh of relief. "Justin! Alex! I didn't think you guys were coming!"

"Yeah, well... here we are," Alex said.

"We couldn't let you come alone. It was too dangerous," Justin said.

"You guys are sacrificing your powers to help me..." Max said.

"Maybe so, but if we make it out of this alive, I'll still have the power to kick your ass," Alex said. Max couldn't tell if she was joking or not so he didn't respond. Instead he turned back around and resumed what he had been doing before his siblings had arrived. Justin knelt to get a closer look and saw that the thing Max had been trying to catch was a goldfish. It was flopping frantically around on the wooden floor while Max tried to grab it. Each time he got it, it slipped out of his hand and flopped away.

"Max... what are you doing?" Justin asked.

"Trying to catch this pirate," Max replied as if Justin should have known.

"Pirate? Max... that's a goldfish," Alex said from behind.

"Well... yeah, it is NOW, but it WAS a pirate." the boy replied. "When I got here there was five of them. They attacked me and I didn't want to... you know... kill them so I turned them into goldfish. I already caught the other four."

Justin looked at his little brother in amazement. "What did you do with them?"

"I threw them overboard to live in the ocean," Max said matter-of-factly. "I was going to put them in the pool, but then I remembered my goldfish I had when I was little and how the chemicals in the tap water were bad for it. I figured a pool that big probably had a LOT more chemicals in it. So, I threw them overboard. Maybe they can go live with Nemo or something."

"Max... the ocean is made up of salt water. Goldfish can't live in salt water. They'll die." Justin said.

"Oh..." Max said.

"It doesn't matter. Do you think they would have had a problem killing YOU?" Alex pointed out.

"Well... no, but..." Max started.

"No," Justin stopped him. "Alex, he's right. Just because these are bad guys... we can't use our powers to kill people. We'll turn them into harmless creatures so they can't hurt anybody anymore." He turned to his brother before continuing. "Harmless creatures that can SURVIVE."

"Sorry," Max said.

"Back up," Justin instructed. Max moved out of the way as his older brother pointed his wand at the goldfish. With a quick flick of his wrist, the goldfish turned into a dung beetle. "There. Harmless." He smiled as he admired his work for a moment before moving on. "Okay. Now, to rescure our friends."

"The Sky Deck is that way," Max said pointing toward the front of the ship."

"Well, DUH, Max," Alex said sarcastically. "We didn't think it was that way." She pointed toward the ocean behind them.

"Alex... now's not really the time," Justin said.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm... I'm just nervous." The three teens shared a moment of silent understanding before anyone else spoke.

"Okay... we stick together. Stay behind cover, move slowly, and be on the look out in every direction. I'm the oldest so I'll take the lead," Justin said.

"I got no problem with that," Alex said with a smile, drawing an annoyed look from Justin. "Sorry."

"Max, you stay behind us. Both of you be careful," Justin continued. "And... no matter what happens... I... I love you both." The seriousness of the situation finally sank in to all three of them. Justin grabbed one of his siblings in each arm and pulled them in close for a rare hug. "Okay..." Justin started as they let go of each other's warm embrace. "To the Sky Deck."

The three teens turned and headed toward the starboard walkway. As they began walking, Alex and Justin heard a loud crunching sound behind them. They stopped and turned. Max had an embarrassed look on his face. "Oops..." he said.

"Max!" Alex and Justin both scolded their younger brother.

"Sorry," the younger boy said. "I'll try to be more careful." Alex and Justin looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They couldn't help but to smile as they continued on. Max stopped to quickly wipe the bits of dung beetle from the bottom of his shoe before catching up.

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**(Author's Note: Thanks again for everyone who had read this story. Just a warning, the story will most likely be moving either to the Wizards of Waverly Place section or the crossover section very soon. Make sure to add it to your alerts so you don't miss out. Please review. Thanks again! )**


	5. The Fall

**Chapter 5: The Fall**

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Max, Alex, and Justin Russo crept quietly along the starboard walkway toward the front of the SS Tipton. Around the next corner, between the structure to their left and the first smoke stack, was another commons area with a pool. Beyond that, between the smoke stacks, was another pool area, this one geared more toward children, with water slides, a pizzeria, and an ice cream parlor. Some of the students of Seven Seas High had dubbed this 'the kiddie deck.' On the other side of the second smoke stack was their destination, the Sky Deck. This area of the ship was reserved mainly for adults, though it was also the preferred hang out of many of the students who didn't want to be seen on the 'kiddie deck.'

Justin, who was in the lead, reached the end of the walkway and peered around the corner. Like the area where Max had initially arrived at the back of the ship, there were five guards milling about around the pool, guarding elevators, stairwells, and hallway exits. One of the men appeared to be carrying a RPG launcher. The rest, various types of machine gun. "Okay, listen," Justin whispered to his siblings. "I'm going to take out the guy with the missile launcher. You two take the two guys closest to us. That should buy us enough time to hit the other guys on the far side. Got it?"

"Got it," Alex and Max said at the same time. The three of them slipped out around the corner and took up hiding behind some decorative plants.

"Remember, turn them into something harmless and, Max..."

"I know... don't step on them..." Max finished his brother's sentence.

"Right. Now... on the count of three," Justin said. They pulled out their wands. "One." The each concentrated on their assigned target. "Two." They decided what to turn the men into. "Three!" They popped out of cover and aimed their wands. Three of the five pirates disappeared into small puffs of smoke. Where the man with the RPG launcher had been standing near the center of the area, next to the edge of the pool was a black pygmy goat. Where Alex's man had been, near the snack bar, was a small white mouse. On the stool where Max's man had been standing was a small, brown cat. The cat spotted the mouse on the floor and pounced after it. The mouse fled with the cat hot on its tail and the two of them disappeared around the corner on the port side walkway. Alex and Justin gave Max an irritated look.

"What? How was I supposed to know she was thinking mouse?" the youngest of the siblings tried to defend himself. Before any of them could say anything else, the two remaining men spotted them and started yelling and walking toward them. "Look, I got this one," Max said.

"No, Max... wait..." Justin tried to stop his younger brother, but he was too late.

Max popped up from behind the bush causing the two men to stop in surprise. When the man on the left started yelling again, Max pointed his wand and turned the man into a unicorn. The man on the right, frightened by what he had just witnessed, started to scream and pointed his gun at Max. Before he could fire a single round, though, Max turned him into a Jack-elope. Max smiled at his handiwork as Justin and Alex came out from behind their cover. The look on Justin's face made Max stop smiling.

"Really, Max?" Justin said, trying to keep his voice down. "REALLY?"

"What?" Max asked.

"You really don't think people will notice that mythical creatures that don't exist have suddenly appeared on this ship?" Alex asked.

Justin waved his wand and the horns on the two creatures disappeared leaving a regular horse and a rabbit. "There... at least these animals are REAL."

"Jeez... I was just trying to have a little fun with it," Max said, disappointed.

"Max... look..." Justin started, realizing that now wasn't the time to argue with his little brother. "I'm sorry. We just have to be careful. You can have fun with these guys, but... just make sure that whatever you turn them into isn't going to expose the world to magic."

"Yeah... well... any more than horse and a rabbit finding their way onto the ship while it's in the middle of the ocean," Alex added.

* * *

On the Sky Deck, the three men who had been standing at the smoothie bar with the laptop were showing what they had found to the man Cody had decided was their leader. The four of them were discussing something and looking and pointing toward the area where Marcus, London, Woody, and Addison had been taken. Cody couldn't hear what they were saying, nor could he have understood if he had been able to, but he was sure that the men had identified one of his famous friends. After a few minutes of discussion, the three soldiers approached Cody's friends. One of them knelt down in front of London with the laptop and held the image that was on screen up next to her face. London had tears in her eyes and a look of fear. Woody and Marcus on opposite sides of her couldn't bare to watch and both stared down at the floor. The man with the laptop looked up at his partners and shook his head, confirming that the image on screen and the woman sitting in front of him were the same person.

* * *

On the top deck above, the Russo siblings had made it through the 'kiddie deck' easily and had taken position above the Sky Deck to get a better view of what was going on. There more pirates here than they had encountered in any one place on the rest of the ship and Justin was trying to devise a plan. While his older brother strategized, Max was watching the events unfold right below them. He didn't like what he was seeing. He had spotted his friend Zack, along with Cody and Bailey, sitting against the rail on the far right side of the Sky Deck. Just below him, in front of the hot tub, two men were holding London Tipton while another stood in front of her yelling in a language Max didn't recognize. London was crying.

The two men started to take London away. She started to struggle with them and they got more aggressive until they were practically dragging her. She started screaming and kicking, trying to get away. From across the Sky Deck, Cody yelled to her, "London! Don't! Don't fight them!" One of the guards ran over and threatened Cody, but as he watched London's struggle, he couldn't help but to call out to his friend. "London, stop! You'll make it..." Cody was cut off mid-sentence by the butt of a rifle to the face. Bailey screamed and Zack watched in horror as his brother slumped over onto him, blood running from his nose. Zack started to try to get up to confront the man, but was met with the barrel of the same gun that had knocked out his brother and thought better of it. He settled back down and comforted his unconscious brother as best he could while tied up. Bailey was now crying uncontrollably.

At the same time Cody was being knocked out, Max saw the two men dragging London stop in front of the third man who had been yelling at her moments before. He started yelling at her again and London started fighting harded than ever to get free. The two men held their firm grip on her arms so she could get free. Then, Max saw something he couldn't bare to watch.

Seeing Cody get knocked out was bad enough, but Max knew he had to stay behind cover until his siblings were ready. But when the man below him punched London Tipton in the stomach and slapped her hard across the face, Max lost control. Before Alex and Justin had time to realize what was happening, Max sprang up and leaped over the rail, down onto the Sky Deck, landing in the hot tub below. Before any of the pirates could react, he popped up out of the water with a yell and a rage in his eyes and aimed his wand at the man who had punched London. The man exploded like a sausage that had been left in the microwave too long, painting everything and everyone within ten feet of where he had been standing in red. Alex and Justin took off, heading down the stairs to try and help their brother. Max took aim at one of the other men, but wasn't fast enough. The other nine guards had now had time to process things and were aware of his presence. The leader of the group yelled in his foreign language and opened fire in Max's direction. Four of the others followed his example and also started shooting.

Alex and Justin both screamed "NO!" as they reached the bottom of the stairs, watching the hail of bullets schredding the hot tub and the wall behind it. They grabbed their wands and started to try to use them, but in their panic, failed to notice the two guards they ran past at the bottom of the stairs. The two men grabbed Alex and Justin from behind. The siblings tried to fight back, but in the struggle, both of them had their wands knocked out of their hands. One of the men grabbed Alex and when Justin tried to pull her away, the other man pointed his gun in Justin's face. Powerless without their wands and staring down the barrel of a machine gun, Alex and Justin reluctantly gave up. Two more men came over to help their comrades tie up the siblings and dragged them off to sit them with the other hostages.

Alex and Justin both hoped that Max had been able to take cover and sneak away. As they were seated in front of the towel boy's station, they watched as London Tipton was taken away in shock by two men who, like her, were covered in blood and what could only be described as a pirate smoothie. The leader of the terror group and two of his guards approached the hot tub carefully, with guns drawn.

The next thing he saw caused Justin's heart to break. Alex blurted out, "OH MY GOD! NO!" as she burst into tears and buried her face in her older brother's shoulder. Justin watched in stunned silence as the three men lifted Max's bloody, lifeless body out of the hot tub.

* * *

**(Author's Note: Surprise #2! Thanks again to everyone for continuing to make this story a success. And welcome to the new readers who may have just joined us since I've moved the story from the Suite Life section to the Wizards section. I hope you all have enjoyed it up to this point and appreciate any reviews. :) There are still more surprised to come. Stay tuned!)**


	6. Despair

**Chapter 6: Despair**

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The mood among the hostages on the Sky Deck was grim. They had just witnessed a young teenaged boy gunned down right in front of them. He had seemed to be trying to help them. None of them could figure out what, exactly had happened to cause the pirate to just... explode, but it didn't really matter. The boy was dead. His lifeless body was being pulled out of the hot tub by the three men who'd killed him.

Zack Martin, whose brother was leaning against him, unconcious and bloody, watched the men in fearful silence. Like most everyone else on deck, he was in total shock. As the body was pulled from the hot tub, Zack caught a glipse of the boy's face. For a second, he thought he recognized the boy, but didn't get a very good look as the pirates carried him. Zack watched as the men carried the body toward him and then...

* * *

Audible gasps were heard all across the Sky Deck and several people could be heard as they burst into tears, crying at what they witnessed next. As if killing the boy hadn't been enough, the three pirates carried him over to the rail, just a few feet away from where Zack, Cody, and Bailey were sitting, lifted him into the air, and tossed his body overboard into the sea.

Alex Russo, who was tied up next to her brother against the towel station in the center of the Sky Deck, buried her face in her knees as tears rolled down her face in a steady stream. Justin tried to fight the tears, trying to stay strong for his sister, but a few managed to escape. He felt like he might vomit as watched the men toss his brother overboard like a piece of garbage. Knowing this would be the last image he would ever have of his little brother hit him like a dagger to the chest.

* * *

In the ship's communication room, two men who were covered in blood dragged London Tipton, also covered in blood, across and tied her up in a chair. Two other men were already in the room, holding the ship's communications officers hostage. One of the bloody men took out a video camera and started filming the heiress and speaking in his foreign language. This continued for a few minutes and when he was finished, he handed the camera off to the other bloody man who hooked the camera up to one of the ship's computers and uploaded the video. Then, he sent the video to a list of emails belonging to several major media outlets and the US Government.

* * *

Less than 20 minutes later, CNN, who had been covering the story almost nonstop since word had gotten out that the ship had been taken, had a breaking news alert.

"This just in, literally moments ago," the anchor said, "Video from on board the SS Tipton showing London Tipton bound to a chair and gagged as a man, presumably one of the pirates that has taken the ship, narrates. Our translators are working to decipher the message, but it appears that the pirates on board the SS Tipton have identified the heiress and are using her to increase their demands to the US Government and, it appears, Wilfred Tipton himself. Again, this video just came in to us via email and our translators are working and we should have more on this as they figure out exactly what the man in the video is saying." The man continued talking as the video showing London, tied up and crying, looped on screen.

"My babies..." Theresa Russo said, watching CNN's coverage. Her husband put his arm around her and held her tight as she began crying.

"Don't worry, honey," he said. "If anyone can get out of a situation like this, it's Alex, Justin, and Max."

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**(Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone for reading. Please review!)**


	7. Cody

**Chapter 7: Cody**

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Cody was still out of it, but Zack noticed he was starting to stir. The older twin wished his hands weren't tied so he could wipe the blood off of is brother's face. The steady flow had stopped, but every time Cody exhaled, a little bit sprayed out onto his shirt and pants. On the other side of Cody, Bailey helplessly watched her boyfriend with tears in her eyes.

After a few moments of mumbling, Cody sat straight up with a gasp. He was drenched in sweat and at first seemed confused about where he was. Zack was worried he might draw the attention of the nearest guard so he whispered to his brother to try and calm him down, "Shhhh, it's okay. We're still on the ship."

Cody winced as his senses started coming back and the intense pain in his broken nose started catching up with him. "What happened?" he mumbled groggily.

"The pirates took London. She was trying to fight them off and you tried to calm her down. You took a rifle to the face for your troubles. You're... you're luck they didn't kill you..." Zack's voice trailed off as he thought about the young boy who'd been murdered in front of all of them. "And I think you were having another nightmare right before you woke up."

"I was," Cody said.

"Was it about... was it the same dream?" Bailey asked.

"Same as always," Cody said.

"I'm sorry, little brother. You know... I'd do anything to make those nightmares stop. I'd sell my soul to the devil if it meant you'd stop having them," Zack said.

"Thanks, Zack," Cody said. Then, despite the night sky being clear, thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance and the three teens could feel the ship start to vibrate.

"That was weird..." Bailey said. The disturbance didn't last long and the teens dismissed it from their minds.

"My head is killing me. I think my nose is broken..." Cody mumbled.

"Cody... I wish I could hold you right now," Bailey said. She wanted to cry, but was well beyond the point of being able to.

"Oh, Bailey, I'll be fine," Cody said. "This... this is nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing," Zack commented. "Here, lean over and wipe your face off on my shirt." Cody did the best he could without being able to use his hands. When he leaned back up, Zack's shirt was as red as the front of Cody's was and the younger twin still had blood smeared across his face. Zack noticed the nearest pirate looking their way and figured their talking had gotten his attention. He motioned to Cody and Bailey. The three teens stopped talking and leaned their heads back against the wall.

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**(Author's note: A short chapter, but a VERY important one in the grand scheme of things. All will be revealed in time. :) Thanks for reading. Please review.)**


	8. Strange

**Chapter 8: Strange**

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_I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to figure out where I was. All around me, in every direction was nothing but infinite white space. "_Hello!" _I called out, "_Is anyone here?" _There was no answer. There wasn't even an echo. I took a few steps, but it was almost like I was walking on a treadmill. I didn't get anywhere and the white space didn't seem to move. "_Where AM I?_" I asked myself. I had been to a lot of places and seen a lot of strange things in my life, but I'd never been anywhere or seen anything like this. Actually... I wasn't really sure that where I was even WAS a place._

_I tried to remember what had happened, but everything was a blur. It all went down so fast, I didn't have time to think. Not that I was ever that good at thinking anyway..._

_After what I think was a few minutes, I heard a voice. It sounded like it was coming from every direction, like the space itself was talking to me. I turned around in a useless attempt to find where it was coming from. Then, the voice said my name. This time, though, it was only coming from behind me in the direction I had been facing. I spun around to face to source of the voice. I was surprised to see that, where the white space had been less than a second ago, there was now a room. It was almost like I had blinked it into existance._

_The room was dark, the only light coming from a few torches along the walls. Everything in it was black. The marble floor, the stone walls. It looked like one of those ancient castles you might see on the History Channel or something. To my right, there was a large fireplace with long, red banners hanging down on either side that went from the ceiling to the floor. The banners had designs on them in gold. On the opposite wall there was a window with red drapes. There wasn't any glass in the window. It was just a hole in the stone wall. There was a large, wooden door ahead of me with black, metal bars on its small window. I started to walk toward it, my footsteps echoing loudly off the stone walls all around me, when I heard the voice call my name from behind me._

_When I turned around, there was a man standing in the room that hadn't been there before. Just like the room seemed to appear out of nowhere, so did this guy. He looked kinda familiar to me, but I wasn't quite sure where I'd seen him before. He was tall with black hair that had gray patches on the sides around his ears. He had a black goatee and was dressed like... well... I don't know. His shirt looked like something a pirate might wear. I mean... a Captain Jack pirate... not those guys that were on the ship. It was blue with a strange white symbol on the chest. It hung down over his blue pants and there was a brown scarf looking thing tied around his waist. The weirdest part. His cape. It was a huge, red cape with gold trim around the edges and a had a part that came up behind his head with two large points on either side. If his clothes had been solid black, I would have sworn he was the Undertaker or something._

_"_Who... who are you?" _I asked. "_Where am I?"

_"_I am Dr. Steven Strange_," he said. "_And you are in Mephisto's palace_."_

_"_Mephisto? You mean..." _I'd heard the name before. I had learned about it from my dad. Mephisto was short for... something I couldn't pronounce and he was... well... he was the devil._

_"_Yes, Mephisto. You are in his palace in the underworld_."_

_"_Am... am I dead?" _The thought hadn't occured to me yet since I'd mysteriously found myself here. I remembered being on the SS Tipton trying to save my friends. I jumped down to help London Tipton and then... poof. I was here._

_"_Yes, Max Russo, unfortunately... you are dead."

* * *

**(Author's Note: Surprise! Well... sort of. Max is still dead. For those who don't know Dr. Steven Strange is a Marvel Comics character. He is the Sorcerer Supreme, the master of the mystic arts. What role will he play in this story? Keep reading and find out. Also, while you're at it, REVIEW!)**

**For more information on Dr. Strange, visit www(dot)marvel(dot)com/universe/Doctor_Strange_(Stephen_Strange)**


	9. Max's Choice

**Chapter 9: Max's Choice**

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"Yes, Max Russo. Unfortunately, you are dead."

Those words echoed through Max's mind as he tried to process exactly what they meant. "_How could I be dead?" _he though to himself, "_I'm right here_."

"I know what you're probably thinking," Dr. Strange said. "You're wondering how you got here. It's not unusual for the dead to not remember how they got that way. The mind tends to block out those last few traumatic moments."

"So... what happened?" Max asked.

"It's best not to dwell on such things. There are some memories best left repressed. Let's just say it wasn't pretty and leave it at that."

"But... if I'm dead... what about Justin and Alex? And the others?" Max asked.

"They are safe... for now," Strange said.

Max breathed a sigh of relief. He still wasn't sure what exactly had happened on the ship, but was glad to know that whatever had happened to him, his brother and sister were still alive, along with his friends. He stared at the black, marble floor trying hard to process everything that was happening. A realized for a moment that he may never see his family again, but quickly dismissed the idea. "Okay, but... how did I get here? Mephisto is the devil right? Does that mean I did something wrong?"

"Mephisto isn't THE devil, although, he is a demon. There isn't a 'devil' in the way that most people think. Mephisto is the demon most people are referring to when they use that term, though, mostly because of his tendancy to make deals or pacts with people in exchange for their souls. When people think of or speak of 'hell,' they are usually referring to Mephisto's realm where he torments the souls he has collected."

"So... if I haven't done anything wrong... and I know I haven't made any deals with Mephisto... why am I in his palace?" Max asked.

"Because I brought you here. I needed to speak with you, to offer you a choice." Dr. Strange explained.

"But... why here? Couldn't we talk at the arcade or something?"

"For reasons that you won't yet understand, it was important that we meet here. For now, it's not important."

"Okay... is there anything you CAN tell me? I mean...what is this 'choice' you were talking about?"

"Max, you know who I am right?" Strange asked.

"Of course. You're Dr. Steven Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. The Master of the Mystic Arts. Every wizard learns about you in their training. Heck, I think everyone who knows ANYTHING about magic knows about you, not just wizards. You're... THE guy." Max said. "So... what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Due to... recent events, I began searching the globe for a successor. Someone to take my place as Sorcerer Supreme. Someone who is good and can be trusted to use the powers in the right way. After some time, I narrowed my search down to a few promising possibilities," Strange explained. "Unfortunately, all of them had fatal flaws that could have lead them down a very dark path. I had to keep looking and, finally, I came across a family of wizards in New York. Your family."

"What... do you mean?" Max asked, trying to understand. "You want someone from my family to take your place?"

"In short... yes. I kept an eye on your training and studied your behavior and tendencies with magic. I was pleased with all three of you, but ultimately, I could only pick one."

"Justin, right?" Max said. Strange was a little surprised at Max's tone. The boy didn't seem a bit disappointed, almost as if he had already known and accepted that Justin would be the one.

"What makes you think it was Justin?" Strange asked.

"Well... because he's the best. I've pretty much known my whole life that Justin would win the wizard competition so why wouldn't he get picked for this too?" Max explained matter-of-factly.

"What about you? Or your sister?" Strange asked.

"Come on, man," Max said, laughing a little. "You said yourself you'd been watching us. Justin is the best. He's the smartest and he's memorized the most spells."

"Max, there is a lot more to being a good practitioner of magic than book smarts and memorizing spells," Strange explained. "What matters more than either of those is what's here." He pointed to his heart and then to Max's. "It's how you USE the knowledge you have, not how MUCH knowledge you have."

"But, in case you haven't noticed, magic always gets me in trouble. Same with Alex." Max said.

"Only because you haven't received proper training and attention. The system wizards use is broken. Putting family members in competition with each other like some sort of game is ridiculous. No other class does this. The system sabotages most people, like yourself, from 'winning.' You said yourself that you KNEW your brother would win your whole life. Your family felt the same way. You and your sister were doomed from the start. You were never given a chance so you had no motivation to do good."

"So what are you saying?" Max asked.

"What I'm saying is, that if given the proper chance, if put on equal footing with your brother, that you would have had a very good chance at winning the silly 'competition' and becoming your family's wizard."

"Wow... you really think so?" Max's face lit up.

"I know so," Strange said with a smile. "And that's why I brought you here. To offer you a choice."

"Which is?"

"I want you to be my successor, Max," Strange said. He waited a moment for a response, but Max was speechless. "I will restore your body and you will be given unimaginable power. I will work with you and guide you to ensure you stay on the right path. You will have a great deal of responsibility and pressure placed upon you, but I have no doubt that, under my guidance, you will prove to be the right choice."

Max's jaw dropped. His mind was swirling and he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You... you can't be serious... this has to be a dream."

"I can assure you, Max, this is no dream. There is, however, a trade off," Strange explained. "Should you accept, your brother and sister will lose their powers."

"Oh..." Max said, disappointed. "That's a pretty big catch... I mean... the wizard competition means everything to them. Especially Justin and... he's my big brother..."

"What do you think the biggest loss would be for your brother, Max? Losing his powers or... losing his little brother?" Strange said. "If you say no, your brother and sister will keep their powers and resume the wizard competition, despite their violation of wizard law for interference in the S.S. Tipton matter. I will personally speak to the Wizard Council to ensure it. However, they will still have lost something. You. Think about it."

"I...I don't know. I mean... this is a lot to think about. Do you really think they'll miss me? I mean... no one ever really payed much attention to me when I was alive..."

"Of course they will miss you. You're their little brother and their son," Strange said, sad that the boy would even consider asking such a question. "And another thing you might want to consider is Justin and Alex's current predicament."

"What do you mean?" Max said.

"After you were... sent here... your brother and sister were captured by the pirates. Their wands were lost and they are currently being held hostage on the ship with the rest of the passengers. There is a chance that the military will make it to the ship and rescue everyone, but... there is also the possibility that they won't..."

"I would be able to save them?"

"There is no limit to what you would be able to do."

Max stood silent for a few moments, thinking things over. Strange watched the boys face, studying it in the glow of the torches. He knew that mentioning the possibility of saving his brother and sister would convince Max to accept the offer. Finally, Max spoke, "If it means I can save my friends and Alex and Justin... I'll do it."

"Good," Strange said, "Then you must go. There is no time to waste. Your friends and family are in danger."

"Wait... that's it?" Max asked, confused.

"That's it. Congratulations." Dr. Strange patted Max on the back and started to walk away, toward the fireplace.

"But... how do I get out of here? How do I get back?" Max asked.

Strange turned back to face him. "Through that door and to the right. At the end of the hallway is an elevator that will take you back to the ship." He pointed toward the large wooden door behind Max.

"Okay... and when will I see you again?" Max asked.

"When the time is right." Strange said. With a smile, he vanished into thin air leaving Max alone.

* * *

Max was still for a minute, thinking about everything that had just happened before he realized that he should probably hurry. He ran toward the door and pulled it open, the large metal hinges creaking and echoing off of the stone walls all around him. Like the room he had just left, the hallway was dimly lit by a few torches spaced evenly on both sides. He turned to the right and ran down the hallway and spotted the elevator at the end. There was only one button, marked with an arrow pointing up. Max pressed it and the door slid open with a ding. Just as he was about to climb aboard, a voice stopped him from behind. He turned around to see a boy standing in the hallway that hadn't been there before.

"Are you Max Russo?" the boy asked? He was a little taller than Max and Max figured he was about the same age, maybe a year or so older. He had brown hair about the same length as Zack and was wearing black and white Converse All-Star shoes, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt with a picture of the Joker on it. Max couldn't help but think how out of place the boy looked in the dark, medieval looking hallway wearing modern day street clothes.

"Um... yeah."

"And you're friends with Cody Martin?" the boy asked.

"Well... I mean, I sort of know him. I'm friends with his brother more, though. I'm actually on my way to rescue them right now." Max thought the idea of going to rescue people sounded funny coming from his own mouth, but didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Well... could you deliver a message to Cody for me?" the boy said.

"Sure... what is it?" Max asked.

"Well... he's been having nightmares about... something that happened and... well... I just need you to tell him that I'm sorry, that what happened wasn't his fault, and please not to worry about it anymore."

"Okay, but... how do you know he's having nightmares?"

"Part of my punishment here... in the afterlife... is that I am forced to watch Cody's nightmares in 3D IMAX."

"Oh, wow. You mean... like Avatar?" Max asked, oblivious to what the boy meant.

"Um... sort of... I guess..." the boy said.

"Well... I'll tell him for you," Max said as he turned to board the elevator.

"Thank you, Max. You don't know how much this will help."

"No problem. I gotta get going, though," Max said. The door started to slide shut, but Max put out his hand to stop it. "Wait... I didn't catch your name. I'll need to tell him who the message is from."

"My name is Jordan," the boy said. "Jordan Farmer."

* * *

**(Author's Note: SURPRISE! For those who are unaware, Jordan Farmer is the main character of my Suite Life story, "Teenagers" [please read it!] and is played [in my mind] by Freddie Highmore. I can't really say anything else about his involvement in this story without giving away top secret info about future events. Please review.)**


	10. The Rise

**Chapter 10: The Rise**

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As the elevator climbed, Max tried not to think about how it was going to take him from Mephisto's palace back to the ship. It was just too confusing. Instead, he decided to focus on what he would wear. Dr. Strange had his cool cape, Tony Stark had the Iron Man suit, and Wolverine had yellow spandex. All superheroes had their signature look and Max figured he needed to come up with one of his own. Then, it dawned on him. "_I already HAVE a signature superhero costume_!" He wasn't sure how the new powers worked exactly so he imagined himself in his new costume. He looked down and smiled at his new outfit. The change had happened instantaneously, Max didn't even feel it happening. "_So THAT'S how it works_," he thought. "_I just think about what I want to happen and it happens. No wand. No spells. Awesome_!"

* * *

_Meanwhile, back on the SS Tipton..._

Most of the hostages had gotten to the point where there were no more tears to be shed. Some of them had even come to terms with the fact that they might not make it out alive. Cody, who was having trouble breathing due to his very painful, broken nose, stared at his feet, thinking of all the things he'd never get to do. On his left with her head on his shoulder, Bailey seemed to be in a trance. He figured she was probably in shock. He wished there was something he could do for her, but he knew they were all helpless. The only hope they seemed to have had was the boy who seemingly dropped out of the sky and somehow, perhaps with a grenade of some sort, had caused one of the pirates to explode into bloody mess right in front of everyone before being gunned down, his body tossed overboard. Cody wondered where the boy had come from and where he could have gotten a grenade. It just didn't make any sense. Unfortunately, there were bigger things to worry about now. Like getting out of the situation alive. He'd already made the mistake of standing up for London... and got his face smashed in for his troubles. "London... poor London..." he thought. He thought of the last time he saw the heiress. She was covered in blood from the exploding pirate and was being dragged to unknown location. To an unknown fate.

* * *

Alex and Justin sat silently next to each other. They couldn't talk to each other for fear of getting the pirates' attention. They could only sit and think. Think about their fallen brother, about ways to escape, and ultimately, about how this could be the end. Without their wands they were powerless. They couldn't call for help. They couldn't let their parents know what was happening. They couldn't say goodbye.

* * *

A quick dinging sound coming from the elevator caught the attention of the few people closest to it. When the door slid open, there were audible gasps that spread across the deck as more and more people people turned their attention in that direction. The pirates didn't react at first. They could only stare in shock, their mouths hanging open. Zack, Cody and Bailey couldn't see the elevator from where they were sitting, but they were trying to see what was going as the whispering and gasps started building. Something important had to have been going on for the people to defy the pirates' orders for silence. "_Maybe it's London_," Cody thought. "_But if it is... I probably don't want to look_..."

"Is it London?" Zack whispered.

"I don't know. We should just stay quiet," Cody whispered back.

"Yeah, we don't want anymore attention," Bailey added.

* * *

Next to the towel station, Alex and Justin had a very good view of the elevator doors and the person that was revealed when they slid apart. "Oh my God!" they both gasped in unison.

* * *

The boy stepped out of the elevator toward the nearest pirates who were stunned, either because they recognized him or because of his outfit. They started at his feet. His red Converse All-Star shoes and white socks were where the normalcy ended. Above that, the boy was wearing blue spandex tights with a pair of sports themed boy-briefs over them. His yellow, long sleeved, spandex shirt had a giant, orange letter 'M' on the chest and dangling behind him was a dark blue beach towel with lighter blue and orange sharks printed on it. The pirate closest to him started to giggle. "Who you suppose to be?" the armed man asked in broken English.

"Who am I?" the boy said with a smile. He had already rehearsed his next line while still in the elevator. "I'm Maximan... bitch!"


	11. First Wave

**Chapter 11: First Wave**

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"Well, 'Maximan'" the pirate mocked, "little boy, I think it is time you have a seat." He pointed his gun toward Max and his companions followed suit. Max had hoped that his opening line had made him sound tough and confident in an effort to discourage the pirates. It was clear to him that it hadn't worked.

"Okay, you punks. I'm gonna give you two options. Option A, you let these people go and walk away. Nobody gets hurt," Max said, doing his best to sound like the action stars he'd seen in movies.

"Please tell me, boy, what is option B?" one of the men said with a smile.

"Trust me. You don't want option B," Max said.

The men stared at him for a few moments before finally bursting into laughter. "Oh, you are very funny, little boy," one of the men said, trying to catch his breath. He looked at the other men, "Look, little boy thinks he is The Rock." Then, he turned his attention back toward Max, "But now you shut up and sit down like everyone else before YOU get hurt."

"Okay, but I really didn't want it to go this way. I was really hoping you guys would just let these fine people free and go back to where you came from." Max said.

"You have a big mouth," the man said, no longer laughing or smiling. "It is going to get you killed."

"I've already been there," Max said. The man said something in his native language and the two of the others stepped forward, each of them grabbing one of Max's arms. They started to drag him away, but Max jerked his arms free of their grip and was about to try to flee when one of the men kicked him hard in the chest sending him backward, breathless, into the elevator. Within a split second, all six of the men had their guns trained on him and opened fire. Max closed his eyes and flinched, preparing for death's embrace. It was a feeling he still hadn't shaken from the first time and he had no intention of letting it happen again. Soon, the shooting stopped. Max thought he could hear his siblings screaming his name in the background. He wait a moment before slowly opening his eyes, expecting to see the infinite white space from before. Instead, he saw the inside of the SS Tipton's elevator car. "_These guys must be TERRIBLE shots_," he thought to himself. He started to pull himself up from the floor and turned to look in the direction the shooters had been standing, wondering where they had gone. What he saw caught him by surprise.

* * *

The bullets fired from the automatic weapons were suspended in mid-air between Max and the pirates. Max stared at them, eyes and mouth wide in awe. When he blinked, the mass fell and scattered across the floor reavealing the pirates on the other side. They were in shock. Behind them, hostages were crying and the pirate leader was yelling to the men in their foreign language. None of the six men seemed to register whatever their leader was saying to them. Finally, he approached, pushing them out of the way to get a look for himself. When he saw Max in the elevator, alive, he was furious. He snatched a gun from one of the others, took aim and opened fire. This time, Max was ready. The first few rounds stopped in mid-air, just inches from Max before dropping to the floor. The rest barely made it out of the barrel before transforming. Max had turned the machine gun into a bubble blower. The man threw the gun to the floor in a rage and lunged at Max, pulling a dagger from his waist band. Acting so quick he barely realized what he was doing, Max moved to block the dagger, summoning one of his own instantly. The man lunged again. This time, in series of very quick, fluid motions, Max blocked the incoming blade, knocked it from the pirate capitain's hand, and plugged his own blade into the man's stomach. Instead of crying out, bleeding or dying, the pirate capitain exploded into a cloud of yellow butterflies which quickly disapated as the insects flew away in every direction.

The other six men leaped forward to attack, but Max threw an air punch which sent a powerful shockwave out, sending the men flying backwards. Two of the men never landed. They were transformed into sea gulls mid-flight and flew away. Two of the others landed and the impact caused them to splash across the wooden deck. Max had turned them into Jello. Max didn't have time to concentrate on the last two men before they hit the deck, hard. They groaned in pain as they tried to make it back to their feet. Max approached them slowly, casually. The two men looked at him in terror, no longer as a 'little boy,' but as something else. Something... inhuman. They didn't notice the small object in his right hand at first, but when he clicked the button and it hummed to life, the two pirates wet their pants. Their faces would have been pale white if it hadn't been for the red glow of Max's lightsaber. The men looked at each other, jumped to their feet and ran away, screaming in horror until the reached the rail where Zack, Cody and Bailey were tied. They didn't stop screaming until they hit the water.

Max took a deep breath of relief that, at least for now, the trouble was over. He ran toward his brother and sister and began untying them.

"Max!" they both yelled at the same time.

"We thought you were dead!" Justin continued.

"I was."

"What do you mean? You're here," Alex asked.

"No time to explain right now. You guys start untying the others. I'm going to find the rest of the bad guys." Max said.

"But Max..." Justin started. He couldn't finish because he was starting to cry. Instead, he grabbed his little brother and gave him the tightest hug he'd ever give anyone. Alex joined her brothers in a group hug. "I'm just glad you're okay," Justin managed to say. By then, more pirates who had heard the commotion were starting to gather up on the deck above. The Russo siblings broke their embrace and looked up at the gathering force.

"Untie the others," Max said. "I'll take care of this."

"Let us get our wands and we'll help you," Alex offered. "You can't do this on your own, there's too many of them."

"You're wands won't work and I CAN do this on my own. Trust me," Max said. Before his siblings could get another word in, Max was already half way up the stairs. Alex and Justin set to work freeing the other hostages.

* * *

**Author's Note: It took me a while to write this. I've been VERY busy with work and stuff, but don't worry, I haven't given up on my stories. I still write a little here and there as I have time and will update as often as I can. Please review. :)**


	12. Saving London

**Chapter 12: Saving London**

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* * *

**

The battle on the upper deck didn't last long. At first, Max toyed with the pirates, turning them into various animals and objects like he'd done before. When one of the men nearly managed to stab him in the back, the fun ended and Max got serious. He spun around and summonded a gyser from between the wooden planks of the deck that completely surrounded his assailant in a wall of water. A split second later, the water was frozen solid, the man trapped inside. Max then drop kicked the block of ice which exploded sending large chucks and glass-like shards flying into the other men. The men who were behind him and weren't hit by the flying ice rushed forward. As Max spun to face them, he thrust his hands forward and a bolt of lightening burst out hitting the closest pirate and then spreading out like a web to all the others. The young wizard surveyed the area, his head spinning. Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn't had time to even think. All of it had come to him naturally, like walking or breathing. He was overwhelmed and for that brief moment, he thought he might pass out. All of the men on this deck were incapacitated, most either unconcious or dead, but Max knew he wasn't finished. He needed to find London. He looked around and found the nearest pirate who was still alive and awake. The man was lying on top of a broken table, impaled on one of its legs. He was groaning in pain and gasping for breath. Max almost felt sorry for the man.

"Where did they take London Tipton?" Max asked. The man said nothing at first. He only groaned in pain as he looked up at Max almost defiantly. "Tell me!"

The man spit at Max, a combination of saliva and blood and forced an evil smile. "Go to hell."

Max put his foot on the man's chest and grabbed the peice of broken table leg. "Tell me where she is," he said. The menacing tone and serious expression on the boy's face made the smile disappear from the pirate's lips, but still he said nothing. When Max was sure the man wasn't going to talk, he slowly twisted the peice of wood and pressed it downward stabbing it a little farther into the man's chest. "TELL ME!"

"I don't know!" the man wailed in pain.

"LIAR!" Max twisted hard and stabbed deeper. The man screamed in pain.

"She's in the ship's control room! Please! Please stop!" the man begged.

"Now see? Was that hard?" Max asked.

* * *

When Max opened the door to the control room, he saw London bound and gagged in a chair with a single guard. She had been crying and when she saw him, she tried to scream for help behind the duct tape. The guard pointed his gun just inches from her head.

"Don't move," the man said. "I kill her."

"Let her go," Max said. "It's over." He started to move forward, but the man yelled at him.

"I said, don't move!"

"I'm going to give you one more chance. Let her go and walk away," Max warned.

The man laughed, "What is little boy going to do? Huh?"

"I warned you," Max said. He leaped into action toward the man, but as soon as he did, the man pulled the trigger. Max closed his eyes and yelled out, "NO!" He kept his eyes pressed together. For the first time since returning to the ship, he was afraid. Afraid of what he might see if he opened his eyes. Afraid he'd failed and London was dead. His body tightened up in anticipation of the next shot being aimed at him. But the shot never came. After several tense seconds of silence, Max opened his eyes, slowly. London and the pirate were still there, but they were both frozen in place. Max cautiously moved closer and, upon closer inspection, realized that they weren't actually frozen, they were just moving EXTREMELY slowly. As close to still as is possible and still be moving. A bullet was in mid-air just inches from London's head. Max wasn't sure if he'd slowed down time or sped up himself, but it didn't really matter.

* * *

He started by untying London, carefully removing the ropes and duct tape. He lifted her as best as he could out of the chair, and dragged her across the room to safety. He couldn't hold her up for long, she was bigger than him after all, so he ended up seating her on the floor with her back against the wall. Then he went back to the pirate. Lucky for Max, the chair London had been tied to was an office chair with wheels on it. He rolled it around behind the pirate and pushed the man into it in a sitting position. Then, he took the ropes that had been holding London and tied the man to the chair and duct taped his mouth. For a moment, he considered positioning the man's head into the path of the bullet that was still suspended in the air, but decided against it. He'd seen enough death for one day.

Once he was sure the man wouldn't be able to escape from the chair, Max snatched the bullet out of the air and stuck it in his pocket. Then, he closed his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could until he heard London screaming his name. He opened his eyes just in time to brace himself for her jumping into his arms. Her momentum almost knocked him to the floor, but he was able to catch himself and return her hug. She was crying again and he could feel her tears soaking his shirt. He didn't mind that she was squeezing him so tight he almost couldn't breath. He whispered to her, "It's okay. You're safe now. Everything's going to be okay."

* * *

**(Author's Note: I know it's been a LONG time, but I'm back! I've got a new job so I've got more time to write. Expect more frequent updates. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We're almost to the end of this story. Please read and review.)**


	13. The End?

**Chapter 13: The End?**

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The deck was almost silent. Only the quiet weeps of families coming back together could be heard. The passengers and crew who had been lucky enough to find them were slowly emerging from their hiding places. The Russo siblings held each other in a tight hug while London's friends gathered around her to comfort her. Cody Martin forgot about his pain, happy to be reunited with one of his closest friends. She hugged him despite his blood soaked shirt.

After several minutes had passed, Zack, Cody, London, and Bailey approached the Russos.

"I don't know how to thank you," London sobbed.

"Don't worry about it," Max said. "I did what I had to do."

"You saved me," London said. "Anything you want, it's yours. I owe you."

"I don't want anything except to know that you're okay," Max said.

"I will be," the heiress replied. "Thanks to you."

"Are you okay?" Justin said, turning the group's attention to Cody.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Cody said. "I'm pretty sure it's broken and it hurts… a LOT… but it's not the MOST painful thing I've had happen. Zack broke my leg once." He tried to force a chuckle to lighten the mood, but it didn't really work.

"Here," Max stepped forward raising his hand over Cody's face causing the blonde teen to flinch. "Let me try something. Don't move." Cody hesitated as Max closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment and the rest of the group looked on in wonder. Suddenly, a bright flash shot between Max's hand and Cody's face, knocking the youngest Martin off his feet. Zack and Bailey reacted quickly enough to catch him before he landed flat on the ground and lifted him back up. Cody staggered, dazed for a moment before becoming reoriented.

"Baby, are you okay?" Bailey exclaimed.

"I… I'm fine…" Cody said, wearily. "The pain… it's… gone."

"You can HEAL people?" Zack asked in disbelief.

"I guess so…" Max said, seeming just as surprised that it worked as the others.

Other passengers began to take notice of Max and the others and were beginning to gather around. Justin tapped his younger brother on the shoulder. "Max… I think we need to get out of here. We don't need this attention."

"But he's a hero," Alex protested. "He should get recognition for what he's done here. Bask in the glory."

"A true hero doesn't do good things for recognition or glory, Alex," Justin retorted. "We need to get home to see mom and dad. Max needs to rest."

Alex could see that there was no arguing her older brother's point and just nodded in defeat.

"You guys are leaving?" London asked.

"We need to get home to our parents. They need to know we're alright," Justin said.

"Thank you guys… for everything. For coming here. For saving us," Bailey said.

"Can we keep in touch?" Cody asked.

"We'll be in touch," Justin said. "I promise."

The two sides took turns hugging and when Max reached Cody, he stuck out his hand to shake. Cody took the invitation. While their hands were clasped, Max leaned in and whispered in Cody's ear, "A message. From a friend." As he let go of Cody's hand, Max slipped a folded piece of paper into it and gave his friend a nod. Then, the Russos ducked into an empty hallway as far away from the crowd as they could get. Cody, Zack, Bailey, and London followed.

"Thank you guys again," Zack said. "We won't forget this."

Max and Justin gave reassuring nods and half smiles as all three Russos took hands.

"This isn't goodbye," Justin said. With a bright flash, he, along with his little brother and sister, disappeared.

* * *

The rest of the evening was a somber one for everyone on board. Families were called. Tears were shed. The United States military sent a ship to escort the SS Tipton to the nearest port. Zack and Cody's mother would be waiting for them there, having been flown in on a private plane from the US. The twins had said goodnight to their friends a few hours earlier and Cody worked out a deal with Marcus to trade bunks for the night so that he could be with his brother. As Zack lay awake thinking about the night's events, he looked over at his brother in the other bed. Cody had come into the cabin and fallen asleep almost immediately. The first time Zack could remember that happening in a long time. Even more surprising, Cody had not woken up from any nightmares. While he pondered his brother's emotional state, there came a knock at the door. Zack slowly rose from the bed. His hair was a mess and he was dressed only in pajama bottoms and socks, but he approached the door anyway and looked through the peep hole. No one was there. Irritated, he turned and started back toward the bed. When he did, there came another knock. This time, Zack spun around and flung the door open so that the person on the other side couldn't get away. In the hallway stood a man Zack didn't recognize. An older gentleman dressed in all black, a stark contrast to his bright white hair. He held a cane with a golden skull for the handle that had red jewels for eyes and he smiled as Zack stepped forward. There was something off about the man, and Zack got chill bumps just looking at him.

"Hello, Zack Martin," the man said, his voice unnaturally deep and almost other worldly in Zack's ears.

"Do I know you?" Zack asked.

"You know OF me," the man said with an evil grin.

"Okay…" Zack said hesitantly.

"My name is Mephisto," the man said. "I'm here to collect on our deal."

* * *

_**(Author's note: There you have it. The end of this story. FINALLY. It has been a VERY long time since I started it. I've gotten two jobs since then, my current one keeping me increasingly busy. I've always wanted to come back to this story and finish it. I'm disappointed that it took this long, but here it is. At this point, I feel like I am probably done with writing. No surprise to some of you considering how long it took me to finish this story, but now I feel I can retire with nothing hanging over my head. No unfinished business. Thanks to all of my fans who have stuck with me over the years and my peers for their support and award recognition. I wrote these stories you guys just as much as for myself. Thank you.)**_


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